Night market celebrates local talent

Community members of all ages showed up to attend a night market on Tuesday evening, hosted by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).

Whether looking for a bite to eat, wanting to check out the diverse artwork available, or just looking for a chance to mingle with other Kahnawake residents, the greenspace next to the Golden Age Club was the perfect opportunity for a night out on the town.

The event was tied to the beginning of the 45th AFN Annual General Assembly (AGA), which took place July 9-11 at the Montreal Convention Centre, with representatives of the AFN from across Turtle Island travelling to partake in the meetings. They discussed topics like clean water, policing, health, language, and education.

This year, for the first time ever, Kahnawake was selected as the host nation for the event.

The Night Market highlighted craft vendors and kiosks, giving Indigenous artists an opportunity to showcase and sell their work.

“Artists from nearby reserves such as Kanesatake and Akwesasne were invited to participate, giving Kahnawake an opportunity to collaborate with our sister reserves,” said Jordan Diabo, tours manager at Kahnawake Tourism, which had a booth at the market.

The night market was partially inspired by the success of the Winter Carnival night market hosted by the Kahnawake Youth Center (KYC) earlier in the year. The market was an opportunity to purchase and admire the various beadwork, clothing items, and food that was on offer.

A dozen different kiosks were set up, offering everything from beadwork to candy.

Haunted Dogs and Walkers Ice Cream were among those selling food for the marketgoers.

“The event shows everything that Kahnawake has to offer. The artists all have different techniques. They all offer different types of artwork and other crafts and products. So each and every vendor is different; not one vendor has the same items,” said Diabo.

A smoke dance and a lacrosse game were among the activities that took place at the event, demonstrating some of the talent within the community.

“I actually heard about the event quite late,” said Isabelle Smoke, who travelled from Akwesasne to participate in the market and sold beaded earrings, purses, pop sockets, and more at her stand. “I’m grateful to be able to share some of my artwork with the community.”

The delegates from the AFN also had the opportunity to receive a tour of Kahnawake from Kahnawake Tourism.

“It was really a collaboration between everybody,” said Rhonda Kirby, who volunteered to help organize the event. “We had Public Works help block the road. Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center (KOR) is here talking to people. We had Kahnawake Tourism come out to help us.”

The event also gave the community a chance to meet the newly-elected MCK chiefs.

A meal was held in the Golden Age Club for the delegates from the AFN who came down to attend the meetings, many of whom were visiting Kahnawake for the first time.

“The event is an opportunity to showcase what the community has to offer, both locally and to other communities. I'm sure it’s going to be the first time that many of them have been in this area,” said Kirby.

“I decided to attend after my children finished soccer practice. I figured it’d be a nice time to come see what people are doing and grab a bite to eat while my kids cool off in the splash pad,” said Shauna Raymond, a community member who attended the event with her children.

“Events like these are really great because they show what we as a community have to offer. It shows our beautiful crafts and talent,” said Diabo. “The fact that we're sharing this event with our other Indigenous neighbors and other Indigenous communities that are coming for the AFN makes this really special.”

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This article was originally published in print on July 12 in issue 33.28 of The Eastern Door.